Three weeks after cancer surgery, pope embarks on Latin America trip despite recovery concerns

A demanding journey begins

Leo is due in Montevideo after a 13-and-a-half-hour flight from Rome. His Uruguay schedule includes a visit to a neighborhood affected by gang violence and Masses in Paysandú and Florida.

The Uruguay visit opens the longest and farthest journey of his pontificate. He will then travel to Argentina before returning to Peru, where he spent two decades as a missionary priest and bishop.

Vatican communications chief Maria Montserrat Alvar said Leo had completed the 14-day recovery period doctors required after his Oct. 13 operation. She described his stamina as strong and said medical care would be available aboard the flight.

A secular setting for the pope

Uruguay has not hosted a papal visit since 1988. Leo is expected to highlight the country’s Catholic heritage and present the faith as a response to current challenges.

About 3.5 million people live in Uruguay, which is considered Latin America’s most secular country. Only a fraction of residents who identify as Catholic regularly attend Mass. The country has legalized recreational marijuana, decriminalized abortion and legalized same-sex marriage. It also approved assisted dying legislation despite Catholic Church opposition, reflecting a separation of church and state that bars references to God in oaths of office.

Faith, politics and human dignity

Leo is expected to discuss the church’s opposition to abortion and euthanasia as part of a wider appeal to protect human dignity throughout life. In Montevideo, he is scheduled to meet President Yamandú Orsi and address government officials and diplomats before a vespers service at the cathedral.

Uruguayan church officials have reported strong interest in the visit. Tickets for a prayer vigil at Montevideo’s Centenario Stadium were taken within two days, according to the report.

Former Vatican official Guzmán Carriquiry said the pope’s presence could prompt questions about meaning and faith. He expects Leo to emphasize Uruguay’s Catholic roots when he visits Florida on Sunday for the Nov. 8 feast of the Virgin of the Thirty-three.